A Bristol firm in the ‘Blue’ spotlight
Flux Marine has grown from 3 employees to 50 and is celebrated as a leading innovator in Rhode Island’s ‘Blue Economy’
Flux Marine, a Bristol-based company that designs and manufactures electric engines for boats, met with Congressman Gabe Amo for the final stop of his “Blue Economy” tour on Tuesday. It was a big moment for a company that had only three people employed four years ago.
According to Ben Sorkin, CEO and co-founder of the company, the idea was originally conceived in 2015, but the company did not begin hiring and receive investment funding until 2020. Flux Marine focuses specifically on engines for boats, rather than the boats themselves
After starting with three, Flux Marine has since expanded to about 50 employees. “What we’re developing is such deep technology,” Sorkin said. “It truly takes a village to develop what we have developed from the ground up.”
Congressman Amo received a tour around the manufacturing area of the Flux facility, which is located within Unity Park off Wood Street. After the tour, the group moved over to Bristol Harbor, where two boats were tied to slips at the town marina along Thames Street. The boats were made by Scout, a boat manufacturing company from South Carolina, which Flux partners with regularly. The Scout boats are designed with a hash that makes it easier for the company to install its batteries and engine.
The boats are also equipped with Garmin GPS technology that is synched with Flux software, a sign of the collaboration between the two companies. Sorkin said, “As we were developing, they were like, how can we work on things?”
When operating, the boat will capture data, such as the temperature of the water and battery power, which is relayed directly to the company’s database, helping them see trends in boat users, as well as helping them track people who may require help.
Flux’s standard engine is a 100-hp model that can reach 32 miles per hour and has a range of about 30 miles. The engine can fully charge overnight. It of course aims to be more environmentally friendly as it removes diesel from of the equation. Scout markets the engine as fully equipped for “a day on the water.”
Sorkin, who moved to Rhode Island about six years ago, had originally planned to move operations up to Boston, prior to the pandemic. However, when Boston shut down as a result of the pandemic, he and the company ended up settling in Bristol, which he says has been a good fit. “They call it the Ocean State, and the state has been great as far as supports go,” Sorkin said.
After a short ride out of Bristol Harbor, Amo praised the company, saying “Flux Marine is doing a whole lot to grow here in Bristol.” He also described the boat ride and the boat’s engine as one of the quietest he has ever been on, and he said he hopes that boats not powered by diesel fuels are part of America’s future.